Tech Tip #2 "Are You Ready To Reduce Rumble?"

Happy Friday, and welcome to the second Tech Tips blog. If you missed number one, welcome aboard. Tech Tips hopes to help weekend sound people everywhere find success, by sharing real world examples of how to make their audio life a little bit easier (and hopefully enjoyable.) My favorite tips have always been the ones that cost little or no money; Just using science to your advantage rather than working against it. Having said that, here we go.

Here is a tip that has stood the test of time for me. The hardest thing to achieve in live sound in my opinion is a great vocal sound. So many factors need to come together. The singers mic technique, proper mic placement and the singers’ actual output of sound (db) which in turn influences how loud your sound tech turns up the gain on the mics input channel. It goes on and on, but that’s enough for now. Vocal mics on stands have a tendency to rumble when they are sitting directly on a bare stage. Especially if things start to get loud on stage. If you use mics on stands on a bare surface, try this test. Turn your mic up to where it usually is set for a good vocal level, without feedback of course. Now, tap your feet on the floor around the mic stand’s base. If you hear it amplified through your sound system louder than you care to or it begins to ring or sound like feedback; you need to isolate the stand from the stage; Enter carpet. Place carpet (or pieces of carpet) under each mic stand. Try the test again and notice how you have reduced the effect. It’s probably still slightly noticeable but definitely better. This is much better than using drastic EQ on your mixer, and you will notice that things sound a bit clearer. You also eliminate some of the foot noise from shoes on bare stage/floor. If you perform on a bare stage and you want to sound a bit better, get a nice piece of carpet, roll it out and be amazed at the difference. If that’s not realistic, try this; cut some small pieces from ends of carpet or remnants and make them about three inches square or so. Place one under each of a mic stand’s tripod legs, and for a normal round base mic stand just cut a 12 inch by 12 inch square. Even this is better than nothing at all. Barbara Streisand was once on tour in arenas with thousands of yards of drapes and carpet. She had told her production manager to do what it takes to have the best sound and they did it. It’s technically called, controlling the absorption co-efficient, but that will be a whole new Tech Tip. I carry a medium thickness carpet to events that I tech at which are usually audio services for pro drum clinics or private DJ gigs with my Bose Model L2 system. The carpet always helps, no matter what room I am in.
I also keep several at church and they come in handy all the time. I always place my vocal mic stands on a carpet, because when it comes to live sound and trying to make it sound better, I will take every advantage, especially the easy ones. Here’s to all of you out there, trying to make it sound better. See you next week.

Tom